Cows and calves offered by Waverley Station, Gundy sold for $5050 and topped the 2022 Hunter Valley Angus Breeders (HVAB) sale on Thursday.
The sale grossed $2.43 million and averaged $3593 for 677 head. Cows and calves averaged $4208 for the 306 pairs. Ptic cows sold to $4550 to average $3366 for 271 head, while 56 heifers averaged $2395; 25 weaner heifers averaged $1750, and 10 yearling heifers averaged $1875.
Demand for the Waverley offering was strong, with nine cows averaging $2050, 56 heifers averaging 2395, preg tested in calf cows averaging $3366, weaner heifers averaging $1750 yearling heifers averaging $1875.
Waverley Station manager Heath Eslick said the sale result had provided "an unreal day" for the Waverley team.
He said Waverley had been a solid supporter of the HVAB sale over the years, and when cattle were drafted for sale, it was with an eye on sending the best.
"If we're sending cattle in, we're going to be trying to top the sale," Mr Eslick said.
"We see our cattle being sold here as advertising for what we are trying to do."
The top-priced pen of nine cows with calves was bought by Tamworth-based agent Ken Jarrett Livestock on behalf of a Dungowan distinct client.
"Our client has been trading cattle to get himself back on his feet after the drought," Mr Jarrett said.
"These cows and calves will be used to re-establish his breeding herd."
Mr Jarrett bought another pen of eight Waverley Station cows and calves for a $4600 average.
Waverley Station also took the honours for a pen of 15 ptic heifers bought for $4450 by Bowe and Lidbury. Waverley yarded 59 ptic heifers, which averaged $4400.
Waverley's winning ways continued with the first placed pen of ptic nine cows bought by McGrath Upper Hunter, Scone, account Muffet Holdings.
The competition judge was Jack Laurie, Knowla via Gloucester.
He judged the grand champion pen of cows and calves offered by Balarang Station, Timor. KD and DM Wilson bought the pen of 15 unjoined females making $4300. The Wilsons bought a second pen of 13 Balarang cows and calves for a $4100 average.
Mr Laurie selected a pen of 18 eight to nine-month-old weaner heifers offered by Coolie Angus, Merriwa, which made $2325 and were bought by Nutrien AG Solutions account Bowman.
"There was excellent quality right through the yarding, and there were cattle that fitted all types of budgets," Mr Laurie said.
"It was great to see an excellent draft of cattle making good money in excellent market conditions," he said.
"It was unreal to judge this event in good commercial conditions."
George and Furhmann, Casino's Jasen Somerville, his trip to Scone worthwhile, picking up the first three pens of the day with 26 cows and calves offered by NT Fleming and Co, Glennies Creek Dam, Singleton averaging $4292 for a Kylogle-based client. Mr Somerville bought another 24 NT Flemming cows and calves for a $4329 average.
In the ptic heifer draft, G&J Waldron Pty Ltd, Ohio, Tomalla, offered a line of 38 in calf to LBW Eaglehawk N drop Angus bulls that average $3400.The buyer was Nutrien AG Solutions, account Mitchell Group.
Rossgole Pastoral Company, Scone sold a line of 62 EU accredited cows and 63 calves to $4400 for an average of $4065. Milling Stuart was a volume buyer of the Rossgole offering.
Agents for the sale were Elders, Cameron Davidson and Co, Nutrien Livestock and McGrath Upper Hunter.